Brooks Mansion
National Register of Historic Places

Brooks Mansion

Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
Listed
July 16, 1975
Type
Building
Period
Pre Contact
Ref No.
75002045

About this property

Brooks Mansion is a Greek Revival plantation house and Category II Landmark owned by the District of Columbia government. It is located at 901 Newton Street, Northeast, Washington, D.C., in the Brookland neighborhood, next to the Brookland–CUA (WMATA station). The house was built around 1840 by Col. Jehiel Brooks, a veteran of the War of 1812 who married Ann Margaret Queen, daughter of One of the largest landowners in the District of Columbia. After returning from the Red River Indian Agency, they lived on a 246-acre plantation that they dubbed Bellair. In 1887, the house and land were sold to an Ida U. Marshall, who sold to Benjamin F. Leighton and Richard E. Pairo. They subdivided Bellair, and developed the suburb of Brookland. The mansion house and 2 acres were sold to Elizabeth Varney, who operated a boarding house. In 1891, the Marist Brothers bought the Brooks mansion. Three years later, they added a wing to the house. Eventually, they sold the house to the Benedictine Sisters. In 1905, the Benedictine Sisters of Elizabeth, New Jersey moved to the Brooks Mansion. In 1906, they founded St. Anthony's Academy for young children, and operated a shelter for women. In 1911, the Catholic University of America began educating the sisters at the mansion. In 1928, women were admitted to Catholic University of America, and the mansion became St. Anthony's High School. In 1970, Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority bought the mansion. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1975. It was bought by the DC government in 1979, and is used by the Public Access Corporation for the District of Columbia (DCTV). It was named as an endangered place by the D.C. Preservation League in 1999. National Register of Historic Places listings in Washington, D.C.

Location

901 Newton St., NE.
Washington, District of Columbia County, District of Columbia
38.93290, -76.99325

Categories

EDUCATIONARCHITECTURERELIGION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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Nearby Historic Sites

Engine Company 17
Pre Contact
0.2 mi
Brookland Bowling Alleys
Industrial
0.2 mi
Newton Theater
Industrial
0.2 mi
Slowe-Burrill House
Civil War
0.3 mi
Holy Redeemer College
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Brooks Mansion listed on the National Register?

Brooks Mansion was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1975.

What type of historic resource is Brooks Mansion?

Brooks Mansion is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Brooks Mansion?

The period of significance for Brooks Mansion is recorded as the pre_contact era, specifically around 901.

Can I research the history near Brooks Mansion?

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